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Home ❯ Topics ❯ Barre Chords ❯

F Chord, Made Easy: 7 Alternatives to the Barred Version

Lesson #392 • Oct 2, 2021

Video lesson

Instructional PDF 3 pages

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It includes all of my notes for this lesson, allowing you to follow along at your own pace. You're free to download, print, and share the PDF across your devices.

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Editor’s notes

Hey friends! In this video I show you 7 “other” ways to play the F chord, none of which require barring all 6 of the strings (which is what the “normal” F voicing calls for). Even though I can play the difficult barred version, in honesty I rarely use it: there are simple many other voicings that get the job done for way less effort. I also want to demystify this chord for those of you who are new to guitar: don’t let the F chord scare you away from learning songs! There are easier ways to play the chord which will absolutely get the job done.

In this video I’ll go through 8 total versions of F, all based on the first 3 frets. For each I’ll explain when to use it, show a picture of hand position, guitar tabs with fingers required, and a fretboard map. My hope is this lesson (and the PDF cheat sheet that accompanies it) will forevermore make F an easier chord to play.

Video timestamps:

  • 0:00 Overview & Lesson Summary
  • 1:41 Full Six-String Barred Version
  • 3:29 Little Baby F (3 strings)
  • 5:35 Middle-4-Strings F
  • 8:18 Thinnest-4-Strings F
  • 11:14 Thickest-4-Strings F
  • 13:13 Fadd9
  • 14:27 Fmaj7
  • 15:36 Wrapped Thumb F
  • 17:15 Final Advice & Tips

Barre Chord Strength Training (Lesson #99)

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Wrapped-Thumb F Deep Dive (Lesson #244)

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Key of C Cheat Sheet (Lesson #388)

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